Volume 5
Issue # 10

May 12, 2004

"A Letter to the Editor - UBC Robson Square"

** Below is a copy of an email I received from Jessica Ling, a reader of Now That’s Entertainment, and my reply. Just thought it was an interesting read, so I’d share it with the rest of you. **

Jessica Ling writes:

A friend brought to my attention your "Now That's Entertainment" column, and I appreciate the depth of the articles contained on your website. However, I do have some comments to make about your article "U-Pass or Not, get over it!" column.

In addition, a quick look at the offerings of the downtown campus suggests to me that they are geared toward a different demographic. For example, there are courses in executive education downtown. Are you suggesting that students who have had several years of work experience before completing a second degree (for example, an MBA) are not curious and willing to learn? Is this to assume that people who attend a different campus are not true UBC students. The literature available at the various websites dictates differently. Consider the following: if I grew up in Vancouver, and my cousin grew up in Toronto, is my cousin any less of a person than me just because of where she grew up?

Thanks for your consideration

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I reply:

Hello and thank you for your comments.

I agree that you have a point, but what I'm arguing is that students who attend the main campus and those who attend Robson Square are distinctly different. As I understand it, students at Robson Square do not pay a number of the student fees that I, as a student on the main campus, would and this only makes sense. It wouldn't make sense for a Robson Square student to pay the athletics and recreation fee, as it would be unlikely he/she would make it out to the main campus to use the pool or gym.

The main rationale, in my mind, for the UBC U-Pass is to help decongest the traffic to UBC during rush hour. The parking lots are overflowing with cars, and with a forced bus pass, they hoped more students would switch from driving (or carpooling) to taking the bus. This frees up parking spots and helps with traffic. The Robson Square campus, I agree, is overly congested with traffic as well, but that's in the nature of being downtown.

My article was a response to Eugene Lee. He was saying that he "deserves" a U-Pass because he is as much a UBC student as anyone else. I think you'd agree with me that he does not deserve a bus pass, because like I said, it is a privilege and not a right. If the negotiations for the U-Pass included Robson Square students, I would not have a problem with that. But it did not. If there is enough of a contingent at Robson Square who would be interested, I encourage them to speak to the appropriate officials and get something going.

You said, "If I grew up in Vancouver, and my cousin grew up in Toronto, is my cousin any less of a person than me just because of where she grew up?" I say, no. Not at all. You are just as much a person as your Torontonian cousin, but she is more a Torontonian than you, and you are more a Vancouverite than him/her. You are both Canadian, but by the nature of the influence from our neighbours to the South, I'd argue the person is Toronto is perhaps less Canadian in an ideological (but not political) sense - but that's a different issue altogether.

I hope my email has been at the very least an interesting read, and at best, helpful, enlightening and/or informative.

Thank you for your continued support of Now That's Entertainment.

Best wishes,
Michael Kwan
Now That’s Entertainment